River
I lay, gaping at where I’d flung Azote into the gas pumps. Small bursts of sparks continued to arc through my fingers as he started to climb back to his feet. The ground beneath me quaked from the impact of the beasts I’d seen racing toward us.
My heart thundered at the sudden appearance of this new enemy. My body was more bruised and battered than it had ever been before. I’d just had my ass handed to me by an angel, and now I’d have to fight off these new creatures too.
The beasts howled as they rushed past me, rattling my eardrums and causing some of the ghosts inside the truck stop to flit away from the windows. I’d never seen anything so amazing or impressive as the dying flames trailing behind the massive creatures.
Azote regained his feet a second before the first one leapt at him. The creature’s mouth was wide open and its six-inch hooked claws were ready to rip into Azote’s flesh. The beast pounced on him, sinking its fangs into Azote’s forearm. It then began to roll across the pavement like an alligator in a death roll with Azote hanging out of its mouth.
The other creature stopped to watch the action with a tilt of its head before it changed direction and charged toward me. I scrambled backward on my elbows before staggering to my feet. They had been set on attacking Azote when they’d first arrived, but maybe they were as indiscriminate about who they killed as the madagans had been. My hands flew up, ready to blast this thing away from me, but before it reached me, it spun around to stand directly between Azote and me.
I stood gawking at the creature as it roared again, revealing fangs that would make a sabre-tooth tiger cower. Its sleek black coat shone as its hackles rose and the front of its body hunched down a little. The brilliant amber of its eyes reminded me of…
Kobal!
My head shot up, and my eyes scanned the road, but because of the complete darkness out there and the brilliant light before me, I could barely see fifty feet away from me. He was out there somewhere, he had to be, and these were the hounds he’d told me he harbored within him.
Hellhounds. As I stared at the gigantic head before me, I could see exactly why they were called that. It had a head that looked like a wolf’s, but a prehistoric wolf, one who could shred a T-Rex. Its head came up to my chin and its broad shoulders were at my chest.
This thing could crush me with one blow, but it stayed in front of me, its claws clicking on the pavement as it prowled back and forth, eager to join the fight. The other one had pinned Azote; its claws curled into his stomach to tear into the sensitive flesh. It had to be excruciating, but Azote didn’t make a sound as his hands held open the jaws trying to clamp down on his head.
I didn’t see it, but I felt the blast of power Azote released to launch the hound off of him. The creature skidded across the earth and crashed against the side of the building. More ghosts zipped away from the windows before returning to cautiously peer out again.
The hound before me released a hair-raising snarl and launched forward at the same time something leapt out of the shadows beyond the pumps to land on Azote’s back. It took me a second to recognize Kobal as his face was twisted into a mask of pure fury and his eyes burned amber fire. Despite my concern for him, relief and love swelled within me. He was okay; he was here.
Fire licked up his wrists and across his forearms and shoulders. The tips of his four fangs glistened before he sank them into Azote’s throat. Azote screamed; his hands beat over his head in an attempt to dislodge Kobal. Releasing his bite on Azote’s neck, Kobal spit out the chunk of flesh he’d torn from him.
His claws tore across Azote’s chest, slicing open flesh and spilling more blood onto the ground. The hounds paced anxiously before him, their tails swishing as the scent of Azote’s blood permeated the air. Kobal seized Azote’s throat, lifted him off the ground, and then smashed him into the asphalt.
Azote released another blast of telekinetic power I could feel from where I stood. Kobal’s hold on him was knocked off and he was propelled a few feet back, but he didn’t go flying across the parking lot like Corson and the hound had. Either Azote was tiring or his power didn’t have the same effect against Kobal.
The hound guarding me pounced on Azote and bit down on Azote’s head. Azote howled; his hands beat against the beast in an attempt to dislodge it. Shaking off the stupor clinging to me since I’d thrown Azote across the parking lot, I pulled my katana from its sheath on my back and ran toward them.
Arriving at Azote’s side, I gripped the handle tight before lifting the katana and swinging it down with all my might. The sword whistled through the air before burying itself into the side of Azote’s neck. I assumed one swing would cleave his head from his body, but it barely sliced more than two inches into him before getting stuck on sinewy muscle.
Azote’s fingers scrabbled at the blade, tearing flesh to the bone. Kobal stepped beside me, nudging me out of the way as he wrapped his hand around the handle and yanked the Katana free. Lifting it up, he swung it down with enough force to slice Azote’s head from his body. The hound swallowed it down in one gulp that caused my stomach to turn.
The katana clattered to the ground when Kobal released it. He grabbed hold of my arm, dragging me against him. The sickness in my belly eased when he wrapped his arms around me, lifting me into his embrace. My arms slid around his neck, and I flattened myself against him as I clung to him. The hounds roamed around us, rubbing against my legs as they dangled in the air over the beasts.
Despite everything that had transpired, my body instinctively reacted to Kobal’s. The overwhelming demand to get closer fell over me like rain. My hands frantically ran over his shoulders and back as I sought to reassure myself he was really here.
“Kobal.” The coppery smell of blood and the stench of gasoline filled my nose, along with his natural, fiery aroma when I buried my face in his neck.
He nuzzled my hair as his lips traveled over my cheek, and his fingers took hold of my chin to turn my mouth to his. My heart beat a staccato rhythm in my chest when his golden eyes blazed down into mine.
Need.
Sensing this, his mouth took ruthless possession of mine in a kiss that seared straight into the core of my soul. His tongue slid against my mouth and his fangs scraped over my lips, drawing blood, but I didn’t care. My fingers slid into his hair, tugging him closer as I felt the rigid evidence of his arousal rising to press tantalizingly against my aching center.
I forgot all about where we were and all my bumps and bruises, as my world became centered on him. He was all I could taste and feel as our breaths mingled together until they were inseparable. My hands fell on his bare shoulders as he grasped my hair and pulled my head back to deepen the kiss.
“Oh,” I sighed against his mouth.
His tongue, heady and demanding, thrust against mine in a powerful dance that left me weak and trembling. I couldn’t get enough of him. I’d refused to allow myself to think I may never see him again, but it had been a constant worry in the back of my mind. Now, I never wanted to let him go.
One of the hounds growled, piercing through the haze of desire and bringing me back to the reality of where we were. Kobal’s breaths were ragged against my lips when he broke the kiss. He stared at me for a minute before lowering me to the ground.
Clasping my face, he cradled it gently within his hands as his black claws retracted. “Are you okay?” I barely recognized the roughness of his voice, the desperation in his eyes.
“I’m fine. The others…” I recalled the cry of pain I’d heard when Azote had turned those bullets back on them. “The others!”
I pulled away from him and turned to find Hawk, Vargas, and Erin standing by the corner of the building. They were all pale, their shadowy eyes hollow, but their shoulders were thrust back proudly. Vargas had his hand clamped against his upper arm, and blood trickled from between his fingers, but the others appeared unharmed as the three of them walked over to join us.
Corson stepped beside Azote’s body and kicked one of the black wings until it flopped onto the ground. “This was a big blow to Lucifer. He just lost one of his higher-up angels.”
Though Azote was dead, Kobal positioned himself in between me and the angel. His body was rigid as his chest brushed against my arm and he stared at the mutilated body. “I know.”
I’d thought he’d be happier about that development. Instead, he had the look of someone about to attend a wake. He lifted his eyes to meet Corson’s gaze. Something traveled between the two of them, but before I could question him on it, Erin spoke.
“That was an angel?” she asked in a choked voice.
“Azote,” I murmured. “One of the angels who fell with Lucifer.”
Kobal’s eyebrows drew together sharply. “How do you know who he was?”
I glanced at him before looking back at the black blood flowing from Azote’s neck. “I just knew, somehow.”
I decided to wait until we were alone before telling him everything Azote had said and the reaction he’d had to the sparks dancing across my fingers. Sparks which had affected him far more than my fire had. I understood what had Kobal so on edge as I realized I would most likely be able to use my ability against Lucifer too. Kobal and Corson had already arrived at this conclusion.
Did I dare get that close to Lucifer in order to use my ability to wield life against him? I didn’t fear him, and I didn’t fear death; I didn’t want to die, but I would die to save those I loved and countless others if I had to. However, I worried Lucifer may somehow be able to turn me to his way. He must know what had severed the angels’ bond to the flow of life. Could he do it to me?
It didn’t matter. We still had a lot of distance to travel before we got to that point. I’d worry about it when we were closer to the gateway to Hell. Now, I had to be concerned about making it there. Turning, I surveyed the road, but saw no trucks driving down it. I spotted Bale as she jogged out of the shadows and across the lot toward us.
“Where is everyone else?” I demanded, my voice shriller than I’d expected.
“They’ll be here soon,” Kobal assured me. “We were simply able to move faster by foot.”
“Because you destroyed our ride,” Bale muttered.
I glanced at Kobal questioningly.
“Bit of an accident,” he said with a negligent shrug.
My gaze ran over his body. Bruises marred his smooth jaw and blood streaked the corner of his right eye. He wore no shirt, but his pants had holes in them with blood crusting around them. On his chest were the faded, puckered marks of what looked like… “Are those bullet holes?” I demanded.
“We had a run-in with some humans who have survived in this area for a long time. I left them alive.”
“They shot you?”
“They did.”
My teeth grated together. The idea of anyone hurting him drowned out any happiness I experienced over learning there were more survivors out there. “I’d have killed them.”
His mouth quirked into a heart-melting smile that had the tension in my shoulders easing a little. His fingers slipped over my cheek, brushing aside loose tendrils of hair as he stepped closer to me. “I promised you I’d be more tolerant of the humans.”
“Not ones who try to kill you!”
His smile only widened. I glared back at him. “I believe I said the same to you at one point.”
Crap. I’d walked right into that one, which was something he well knew as his eyes sparkled with amusement.
“The way Eileen was killed was wrong and, well, shocking,” I murmured. “But…”
“But?” he prodded when my voice trailed off.
I lifted my eyes to search his much-loved gaze. My heart swelled as my fingers curled around his thick wrists and my body instinctively swayed closer to his. The flow of his life force flooded me, easing some of my exhaustion and pain from battling Azote. “But I better understand why you did it, now. I’m glad you kept the humans who attacked you alive.”
He chuckled as I released his wrists. “Are you now?”
“Yes,” I said reluctantly. “But if they try something like that again—”
“I already promised them death if I ever saw them again.”
“Good.”
Bending his head, his lips brushed against my ear as he turned us away from the others. “I do so enjoy when you are fierce, Mah Kush-la.”
“I reacted too harshly with Eileen,” I whispered. “I was… afraid. Afraid of everything Lucifer had said to me in my dream, afraid of the violence I witnessed from Eileen and then you.”
His hand grasped my neck loosely. “I know, but I will protect you with everything I am from Lucifer.”
“Can you protect me from myself, or protect yourself from me, if it becomes necessary?”
His muscles rippled against me and he inhaled a shuddering breath. “I will always do whatever is necessary for the world to be put to rights again and to keep you safe.”
I rested my forehead on his chest, my eyes closing as his warmth enveloped me. My fingers traced over the chiseled muscles of his abs as I sought to touch more and more of him. The contradiction of his silky skin over the hardness of his muscles was one that always made my mouth water and my pulse quicken as I couldn’t get enough of touching him.
“I hurt you when I pushed you away.” I shuddered at the words as anger at myself slithered through me. It was the first time I’d ever truly acknowledged that. I may have been trying to protect him in some ways, but I’d also wounded and confused him. “I’m sorry for that.”
Kobal stiffened against me, and his hand tightened on my neck. “I understand why you believed what you were doing was right. I also understand that I reacted badly with Eileen. I regret that and apologize her death happened in front of you. We were both neither right nor wrong when it came to her,” he said in my ear. “It was a situation that will not be repeated. Nor will the events following it ever be allowed again.”
“No, they will not,” I vowed. His muscles loosened against me. I couldn’t help but smile at him when he kissed my forehead and stepped away. My head tilted back to take him in. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, now. I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”
I chuckled as he turned to face the others, but I didn’t want to let him out of my sight again either. Corson and Bale studied me intently while the others kept glancing between Azote, Kobal, and me. I noticed they all kept their distance from the hounds prowling in a protective circle around us.
Vargas, Erin, and Hawk looked about as confused as they would if someone handed them a ten-thousand-piece puzzle and told them they had an hour to solve it. Bale and Corson actually smiled at me.
“She can draw on and wield life better than I thought,” Bale said.
“I’ve been practicing with it,” I admitted.
“Sly, like a demon,” Corson said with a wink, and I suddenly understood the admiration in his and Bale’s eyes.
“Is that what the golden-white thing you hit him with was, life?” Hawk asked.